Talking About Our Boy and Our Girl

Posted on Sat Jul 3rd, 2021 @ 9:25am by Commander Alexis Agrax (*)

Mission: Cosmos
Location: Starbase 47
Timeline: 2396
1044 words - 2.1 OF Standard Post Measure

Oliver sat in the bar, a pint of beer and a cottage pie covered in gravy sat in front of him. His daughter was off of the station visiting his Mother on Earth, which meant most of his meals tended to take place there in the bar. It had become something of a ritual for him. He had planned to invite Tom to join him to discuss the Inquiry, but he wasn't about to pull the man away from his daughter while they were surely celebrating. He picked up the fork, moving the last of the mashed potato from the top of the pie about the plate. It looked like a pile of brown and white mush, totally unappealing but he knew well enough that the ale based gravy made the thing taste far better than it looked.

Alexis looked around the bar as she followed her nose from the entrance to the bar and sat up on a stool. She was pretty sure that her stomach was talking when she ordered fish and chips instead of something healthy with a beer. It had been a long couple of weeks since New Rixx and getting lost and she was looking forward to just some downtime even if it was on a base instead of somewhere hot. “That shepards pie looks good.” The woman called making conversation with the person nearest her.

"It's a cottage pie." Oliver replied without looking up as he took a swig of his beer "Sheppards pie has lamb, hence Sheppards, Sheep. Cottage pie is beef. It is good though. They use an ale in the gravy, along with Worcestershire sauce and just a drizzle of red wine. Shouldn't mix with the ale but it absolutely does."

Well that was Alexis told. Humans and their confusing foods, she tutted internally. Liam used to be like that and it had frustrated her at the time, now it just left her missing him. “Did not know that at all.” She mused as her pint of beer was brought to her and she took her own sip.

"Most people don't. They tend to use the names interchangeably." Oliver replied, taking another swig of his beer before finally looking over "Oliver Lancaster."

Alexis smiled as she finally got his attention and he looked at her. She had thought he had looked familiar and any chief of security worth her salt knew the Captain of a vessel or facility that they were connected to. “Alexis Agrax. Pleasure to meet you Admiral.”

"Off the clock, call me Oliver." He replied, holding a hand out to her before withdrawing it as he realised there was mashed potato on the side of his pinky, quickly licking it off "Sorry. Occupational hazard. Eating cottage pie, your hand's going to end up in potato. Also, you're going to end up explaining why your hand has potato on it."

“Yes Sir.” She said with a wink. “Though I am sure the Commodore would not be a fan of me calling you Oliver.” Alexis said with a bit of a smile as she watched him having to explain why he had potato on his hands. She had never found that. “I am not going to ask why you have mashed potatoes on your hands.”

"Yeah that's probably best…" He said with a small laugh, going back to his pie, swallowing the lump of meat and potato as he continued "So which ship did you come in on? Let me guess; Prometheus?"

“There is a commodore there?” She wondered innocently before shaking her head. “No, the other special ship. Cosmos you have obviously not met her Captain yet if it was not the first ship you mentioned.”

"Wait is that the one who put my guy in front of an Inquiry board earlier today?" Oliver asked, looking around surreptitiously "I'm not sure I should even be talking to you. Are you wearing a wire?"

“You want to check?” Alexis said before she held up her hand realising what she had said. “I mean...No and I am not the keeper of Ehestri’s diary and if he appeared in front of her is he still your guy?” She answered looking down at the dress and boots she was wearing. It was casual and that is what she was going for, not trouble, not chaos, just a fun evening with some food.

"He's Captain of my Flagship so yeah, he's still my guy." Oliver said, taking another bite "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have jumped down your throat like that. It wasn't fair of me."

“Maybe your guy needs to keep out of trouble.” Alexis teased just a little. The man had not offended her, more amused her than anything. It was hard to take someone seriously after mashed potato-gate. “If he was in front of my girl for a board she did not put him there.”

"Okay, so it was more she had him up there. But keeping out of trouble is not Tom Winter's problem." Oliver said, picking up his spoon and scooping up the last remnants of his pie "His moral compass can be. The man always feels the need to do the right thing, though I'll admit this is the first time he's gone against regulations to do it. Seriously, the man's record makes most people look like James T Kirk."

Alexis raised an eyebrow in her opinion that was not a good thing but she knew that many a male officer idolised the man. Diplomacy for Kirk was a phaser and a smirk and if Alexis had been his chief of security she would have locked him in the brig to never let him out ever again. “I think we have a big difference of opinion there.” Alexis snorted as her food arrived and she unpacked the cutlery and napkin.

“Okay, he doesn’t make everyone look like Kirk. He just makes me look like Kirk.” Oliver said, finishing his beer before standing up “Enjoy your evening, Commander.”

“You do not need to quite run off admiral.” Alexis offered popping a chip in her mouth. She did not hold the fact he thought of himself as Captain Kirk against him even as he disappeared without a word.